With regards tha stalking tools, as I've said before tools are agnostic to their use, it's the controling mind that decides the use and others that stand and watch that decide if allowed if the use is evil or not.

Basic economics dictate that a need is the mother of a market, and as we sadly know there is no depravity that does not have a price that someone will pay.

As we know laws will not stop those of a mind to commit such acts, further laws will not stop the suppliers of such tools if they deem the profit sufficient to off set the risk. That is the unpalatable primary driver of such markets which worsens the more the " free market" mantra of the libiterian is followed.

Finding a solution is going to be difficult because the same tools can be used to reunite mothers with their children that fathers have chosen to abscond with (and vice-versa). Likewise track down other criminals whos crimes are against persons or property.

[1] I've not heard/seen you in the musical haunts of SW Lon in recent times.

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2014-06-22T14:47:06Z2014-06-22T14:47:06Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6672863Comment from Wendy M. Grossman on 2014-06-22Wendy M. Grossmanhttp://www.pelicancrossing.net
At CFP (www.cfp.org) a couple of weeks ago, Cindy Southworth, executive director of the Network to End Domestic Violence, did a presentation on stalker apps - apps which are deliberately marketed to appeal to abusive spouses seeking to track their wives. Very disturbing. I think there's video up on YouTube.

wg

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2014-06-22T11:32:28Z2014-06-22T11:32:28Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6669729Comment from Gerard van Vooren on 2014-06-21Gerard van Vooren
Previous comments reminds me of a joke that an astronomer made on the radio. The question was why astronomers only look indirectly to the sun with their periscope. The answer was: With a periscope you can look exactly two times directly to the sun. One time with your left eye and one time with your right eye.]]>
2014-06-21T17:00:18Z2014-06-21T17:00:18Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6667163Comment from AlanS on 2014-06-21AlanS
@Shunra

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2014-06-21T12:09:27Z2014-06-21T12:09:27Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6657782Comment from vas pup on 2014-06-20vas pup
@Anon:"Blind it with a laser pointer?"
Good point! With multiple laser pointers simultaneously from several directions.
UWB jammmer may work as well to disrupt control, and I guess if Iranians could hack US military-type drone, then same is possible to prevent that thing out of target as well. As always, I am for less violence towards human being and damage to property just to save humanity of people on both sides of the riot (including sanity of Law enforcement involved) thereafter. Violence generated spiral escalation of violence, not solution (see current examples around the globe).
By the way, DARPA is developing wireless taiser-like bullets (powerful pre-loaded capacitors)which I guess could be used for the same purpose with drone.

Do we really need external threat for the whole mankind (e.g. alien invasion - bitter joke) to unite all peoples together across the borders and stop kill each other?

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2014-06-20T21:21:04Z2014-06-20T21:21:04Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6655114Comment from Chris on 2014-06-20Chris
Some sort of line-throwing device (pick whatever type works for you) throwing fine steel cable or a bundle of kevlar thread would probably drop that thing like a bad habit. Very little danger to anyone from the thrower itself. The crash itself could be bad if anyone's underneath, But The operator of that flying paintball gun ought to be keeping safely clear in case the thing breaks all on it's own. They probably won't, But they should.]]>
2014-06-20T17:18:00Z2014-06-20T17:18:00Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6649448Comment from Anon on 2014-06-20Anon
@ esq. miche

That'd work great but attending a peaceful protest or a picket line and throwing rocks or discharging a fire arm defeats the object of the exercise. Would a strong water pistol hit it or doesn't have the range? Gas masks to get in underneath it then inflate a weather balloon? Blind it with a laser pointer? Fuzz the RC signal to crash it?

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2014-06-20T08:43:33Z2014-06-20T08:43:33Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6643510Comment from NobodySpecial on 2014-06-19NobodySpecial
We used to sell GPS+GSM tracking for vehicles, mostly delivery trucks.

We sold one system to a family business contractor, husband discovered wife's truck regularly went to a certain apartment building that they didn't have any work at .....

After the divorce they set up competing businesses and we sold trackers to both of them !

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2014-06-19T22:03:44Z2014-06-19T22:03:44Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6639310Comment from Shunra on 2014-06-19Shunra
@AlanS parenting by remote control? Raising kids old enough to be away from you but not old enough to trust? It still does all come down to trust.

I allow myself a parental shudder about that. It's no way to raise children. And most parents would be outhacked by most children.

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2014-06-19T15:22:02Z2014-06-19T15:22:02Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6639063Comment from esq. miche on 2014-06-19esq. miche
@Anon
A shotgun or a rifle. Maybe even a solid rock.]]>
2014-06-19T14:59:47Z2014-06-19T14:59:47Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6638271Comment from Ian on 2014-06-19Ian
There was an article in Electronics weekly (UK) about 10 years ago that told about a neat bit of spousal monitoring. A man in Romania fitted a pressure sensor under the leg of the bed and connected it to a mobile phone. This then sent a text if the weight in the bed was more than that of his wife. One day he got the message and returned home to find that his wife was indeed not alone.]]>
2014-06-19T13:52:26Z2014-06-19T13:52:26Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6631862Comment from aaron a on 2014-06-18aaron a
If your spouse manipulates you into unfettered access to your mobile device, you really should be asking, why? There should be an implicit level of trust between you and your spouse. This includes the ability to keep a secret. If you are in an antagonistic situation, your problems might exceed security measures within your phone. Deal with people on the human level.]]>
2014-06-19T04:27:54Z2014-06-19T04:27:54Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6630145Comment from Chris Abbott on 2014-06-18Chris Abbotthttp://abbottit.com
Apps like these have been around for sometime now. A lot of mobile antivirus software will detect these apps if they've been installed surreptitiously. Always password protect your phone, and never leave it unattended. Never give passwords or keys to anyone, anyone...]]>
2014-06-19T01:04:05Z2014-06-19T01:04:05Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6626208Comment from AlanS on 2014-06-18AlanS
@Shunra

I think the NSA sees it more as spying on the kids.

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2014-06-18T18:05:23Z2014-06-18T18:05:23Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6625467Comment from wiredog on 2014-06-18wiredog
Slightly more readable link, though you still get the security warning:http://www.marketwatch.com/story/5-apps-for-spying-on-your-spouse-2014-03-10]]>
2014-06-18T16:49:45Z2014-06-18T16:49:45Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6624666Comment from Anon on 2014-06-18Anon
@ vas pup

Worldcup?]]>
2014-06-18T15:32:09Z2014-06-18T15:32:09Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6624061Comment from keiner on 2014-06-18keiner
"Availability" has nothing to do with "democracy".

"Education" is very "democratic" (by this definition) in the "western world", but peoples in this region are becoming more stupid day by day and democracy in fact is ending there, as there is no control of power and no power for control...

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2014-06-18T14:39:22Z2014-06-18T14:39:22Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6623717Comment from vas pup on 2014-06-18vas pup
Sorry, out of the topic but very important new non-lethal tool for crowd control and riot fighting.
Could be utilized by Army when conducting operation in the area against terrorists with dense civilian population:http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27902634 ]]>
2014-06-18T14:04:24Z2014-06-18T14:04:24Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6623600Comment from Shunra on 2014-06-18Shunra
The trust implications of spousal spying are even more impressive than the trust implications of a democratic state that spies on its own citizens.]]>
2014-06-18T13:52:32Z2014-06-18T13:52:32Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6623474Comment from Me on 2014-06-18Me
Amending the previous 'iffy' statement, I just realized that the 'hole' in certification was likely due to the heartbleed thing.]]>
2014-06-18T13:39:30Z2014-06-18T13:39:30Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6623449Comment from Me on 2014-06-18Me
Wow, you aren't kidding, Perspectives has only two notaries with data on this site, and it is, iffy at best.

Wonder what that is all about.

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2014-06-18T13:37:16Z2014-06-18T13:37:16Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6623180Comment from Jan Doggen on 2014-06-18Jan Doggen
That website has security issues with its certificate]]>
2014-06-18T13:11:26Z2014-06-18T13:11:26Ztag:www.schneier.com,2014:/blog//2.5856-comment:6622991Comment from uh, Mike on 2014-06-18uh, Mikehttp://xkcd.com/722/
Sure is quiet here.]]>
2014-06-18T12:53:31Z2014-06-18T12:53:31Z